Elder Futhark – Rune Meanings

The Elder Futhark consists of 24 runes divided into three groups of eight, known as an ætt (singular of ættir), which are said to be ruled over by both a god and goddess. The first ætt is ruled over by Frey and Freyja, the deities of fertility. The second ætt is ruled over by Heimdall and Mordgud, and the third and final ætt is ruled over by Tîwaz and Zisa.

I have added to this page the color associations for each rune. The first color will be the color that I have assigned to the rune and the one in parentheses is the color assigned by the author D. Jason Cooper in his book Esoteric Rune Magic. If there is are no parentheses for a second color that simply means that my color choice is the same as Mr. Cooper’s.

Fehu

Sound: “f”Stands for: CattleColor: Green (Brown)Casting meaning: Fehu is a rune of power and control. It represents new beginnings and “movable” wealth such as money and credit. It is a rune that gives us the power we need to obtain wealth as well as the power we need to hold on to it.

Uruz

Sound: “oo”Stands for: Auroch (like a wild ox)Color: Orange (Dark Green)Casting meaning: Uruz is also a rune of power, but unlike Fehu, it’s a power that we can neither own nor control. In a casting it can mean that personal success is near. For charms and talismans use Uruz for its healing powers.

Thurisaz

Sound: “th”Stands for: Thorn (or Giant)Color: WhiteCasting meaning: This rune represents the ability we have to resist unwanted conflicts in a passive manner. It is a rune of protection and can tell us of a possible change that would have otherwise come without warning. You can use the protection aspect of Thurisaz as a defense against adversaries.

Ansuz

Sound: “aa” as in “aah”Stands for: Mouth (or Divine Breath)Color: PurpleCasting meaning: Ansuz is a rune that symbolizes stability and shows us order. It is also a rune that indicates intellectual activities and directly represents the divine breath of all life and creation.

Raidho

Sound: “r”Stands for: Wheel, Cartwheel (or Riding)Color: Blue (Black)Casting meaning: This rune allows us to focus our energy so that we may obtain our goals. However to do so effectively we must be “in the right place at the right time.”

Kenaz

Sound: “k”Stands for: TorchColor: YellowCasting meaning: Kenaz is a rune of knowledge, understanding, learning and teaching. It allows us to view situations with more clarity than we normally would.

Gebo

Sound: “g” as in “gift”Stands for: GiftColor: Gold & Silver (Red)Casting meaning: Gebo represents the honor and connection that is created between people when they exchange gifts. The connection and honor is similar to the connection and honor that a person has with the gods for giving them life.

Wunjo

Sound: “w”, “v”Stands for: JoyColor: Pink (Blue)Casting meaning: This rune shows us the balance between all things even when in a chaotic world. It is also a rune of fellowship, common goals and well being to all things. If you come across this rune in a reading you can expect good news to come your way.

Hagalaz

Sound: “h”Stands for: Hail, HailstoneColor: Blue (White)Casting meaning: Representing a hailstone we can expect time and situations to be constricting if Hagalaz turns up in a reading. But much like a hailstone will eventually turn to water, which flows smoothly, these situations and times will eventually flow smoothly for us.

Naudhiz

Sound: “n”Stands for: Necessity (or Need)Color: Black (Blue)Casting meaning: This rune represents how our need or want of something can put a restriction on us. It restricts our possibilities but also contains the power we need to break free from those restrictions.

Isa

Sound: “i”, “ee” as in “east”Stands for: IceColor: Brown (Black)Casting meaning: Like an icicle formed at the start of winter, with this rune we can only wait until the warmth of the sun allows us to be free from a constricting form. Isa represents a halt in activity until a change is made.

Jera

Sound: “j” like the “y” in “year”Stands for: Harvest (or Year or Season)Color: BrownCasting meaning: Jera is a rune that represents the cycle of life. With this rune we see that we must go with the flow of nature to obtain the goals we want.

Eihwaz

Sound: “eo”, “æ”Stands for: Yew TreeColor: White (Green)Casting meaning: Eihwaz is a rune that can be used as a magical protector and facilitator. It shows us that in the event of an ending situation we find the start of a new situation.

Perdhro

Sound: “p”Stands for: Dice Cup (there are many variations)Color: Blue (Red)Casting meaning: Perdhro reminds us of the uncertainties in life and represents freewill and the connection of the restrictions we have due to our circumstances. It is viewed as a rune of memory and problem solving.

Elhaz

Sound: “zz” as in “buzz”Stands for: Elk (or Protection)Color: Black (Purple)Casting meaning: This is a rune of great restraint power, defense and protection. Use this rune in charms and talismans to protect yourself as well as your property.

Sowulo

Sound: “s”Stands for: SunColor: YellowCasting meaning: With the help of this rune we tend to be able to see things more clearly. Like the sun sheds light on dark times, with Sowulo we too can find the light during dark times.

Teiwaz

Sound: “t”Stands for: CreatorColor: Green (Red)Casting meaning: Teiwaz can promise us success in our actions but this time without personal sacrifice. It also means success in “legal” matters but only if we were in the right to begin with.

Berkana

Sound: “b”Stands for: Birch Tree (or Birch Twig)Color: White (Blue)Casting meaning: Like the birch tree coming to life from a seed planted in the earth, Berkana represents a new beginning and is also a powerful birth rune.

Ehwaz

Sound: “e” as in “every”Stands for: HorseColor: Red (White)Casting meaning: Ehwaz reminds us that in order for success there must be a natural flow in the task at hand. With this rune to give us power as well as it making use of our good intentions we can surely achieve such success.

Mannaz

Sound: “m”Stands for: Man (as in human, not gender)Color: Blue (Purple)Casting meaning: Mannaz has many powers. First it is a rune that lets us know we can achieve our fullest potential. Secondly it reminds us that we, as humans, all have shared experiences in life. Lastly we can use the power of this rune to gain the upper hand in disputes and arguments.

Laguz

Sound: “l”Stands for: Water (or Lake)Color: Black & White (Green)Casting meaning: Laguz represents the power of water and its easy flowing nature. We must learn to “go with the flow” when this rune shows up in a reading so that we can take full advantage of our powers.

Inguz

Sound: “ng” as in “long”Stands for: FertilityColor: Brown (Black)Casting meaning: This rune allows us to spread our energy out far and wide. It is a protective rune mainly for the protection of our homes. To use Inguz effectively we must learn to build up our powers over time and then release the power all at once.

Dagaz

Sound: “d”Stands for: DayColor: YellowCasting meaning: Dagaz represents a stability between opposites, such as light and dark. It can stop harmful energy from getting to you but at the same time allow the good energy to slip through so that you can make good use of it.

Othala

Sound: “o” as in “old”Stands for: Home (or Odla – sacred ancestral land)Color: Copper (Brown)Casting meaning: Much like Fehu this is a rune of wealth. But unlike Fehu, Othala represents a wealth that cannot be sold. This is wealth like family, friendships or our culture and heritage that is passed down to us. It represents an enclosure and maintains the existing state of things as they presently are.

Worthy Stephens - Aug 6, 2013

Bob - Oct 15, 2014

I personally don’t use the blank rune (Wyrd) – it’s a modern addition and one I just don’t agree with. However, with that said, I’ve seen people say that it’s the “will of the gods” or stands for the future or even “fate”. There are a lot of different meanings. My suggestion would be to decide what you feel it means for yourself (before casting) and then if it turns up, well it was meant to be in your reading with the intended meaning you gave it.